Switch



June 1932- H. E. NORVIEL ET AL 1,863,350

swmcn Filed May 22, 1931 fgk; fl rry E. A larw 'el and Vdncq cuff Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY E. NOBVIEL AN'D VANCE ECOFF,

OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO mace-am CORPORATION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE SWITCH Application filed May 22, 1931. Serial m. 539,211.

18 present invention will be apparent from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown. it In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the present invention taken substantially on the line 1-i of Fig. 29

Figs. 2, 3 and at are sectional views taken on the lines 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4, respectively of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 20 designates a switch housing or casing preferably of cup shaped formation in which the switch mocha 1 nisms are mounted. A mounting bracket 21 is secured to the housing in any suitable manner such as spot welding or otherwise and adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the lowerend of an automotive vehicle steering column, not shown. The bracket 21 has a central aperture 22 through which the lower end of an actuating rod 23 extends, the rod being rotatably mounted in the steering column and having suitable lever or other actuating means, not shown, at its upper end.

The switch housing 20 of cup-shaped formation has a c lindrical wall 25 and a flat end wall 26. T e open end of the housing is closed by a terminal back 27 secured in place by tongues on projections 28 extended from the peripheral edge of the wall 25 to engage notches provided 1n the terminal back 27 and the tongues are bent over in the manner as illustrated in Fi 1. The back is preferably 50 formed of ins ating material and has on its inner face a lurality of rivets the heads of which provi e stationary contacts 29 arranged in a circular row.

It will be seen that the contacts 29 are raised from the inner face of the terminal back 27. To obtain a flush surface there is attached to the back27 an insulating ring or lining 30 having a central aperture 31 and a plurality of openings 32 registering respectively with the contacts 29 so that the inner face of the ring will be flush with the faces of the contacts 29, as seen in Fig. 1, allowing the movable contacts. to be later described, to ride freely upon or 0% the contacts 29.

Within the housing is a dielectric contact support or carrier 35 having arms or lugs 3'3, 37 and 38 each notched at 39. The support 35 has a central opening l0 provided with key or lugs 41 that fit into notches 42 of a tubular driving shaft l3 to provide a driving connection therewith, while allow" ing the support 35 to move axially thereof. The support 35 is provided with a plurality of recesses 44 adjacent the wall 26. The wall 26 has a plurality of bosses or projections 45 struck therefrom and arranged in a circular row to register withcertain of the recesses it in the support 35 and provide the necessary detent or ratchet action when the prolelctions 45 ride into and out of the recesses Mounted on the dielectric support 35 adjacent the stationary contacts 29' is a triangular shaped member 50 having tongues 51. extending through notches 39 provided in the arms 33, 37 and 38 and bent over at53. The member 50 is free to move axially on the sup port 35, but is held against rotation with respect to the support due to the tongues 51 engaging the notches 39. Interposed between the member 50 and the dielectric support 35 are a plurality of coiled springs 52, as indicated in Fig. 3. The springs are seated in recesses 54 provided in the support 35 and urge yieldingly the contact bosses 59 against the back 27, and also urge the re cesses 44 over the projections 45 on the wall 27 to retain yieldingly the contacts 59 and the support 35in a desired position. The 100 springs 52 also prevent the member 50 from rocking when said member is moved from one position to another. The recesses 44 and projections 45 are so located with respect to each other and the contact 29, that for each position of the switch contact assembly, the three projections 45 which are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, will be received by three of the recesses 44. In this way the movable contact plate 50 is retained yieldingly in different positions.

' The end wall 27 is provided with a partially sheared portion 60 bent inwardly and interposed in the circular path of movement of the arms 36 and 37. Thus the portion 60 acts as a stop to limit the rotation of the support 35.

The switch back 27 is provided with an aperture 61 to provide a bearing surface for a reduced portion 62 of the tubular driving shaft 43 that extends exteriorly of the switch housing, as shown in Fig. l. The actuating shaft 23 passes through the elements of the switch structure and is secured to the driving shaft 43 by the tightening of a nut 64: which wedges against the shaft 23 a plurality of threaded fingers 63 integral with the shaft 43 and separated from each other by longitudinal slots 65.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An electric switch comprising in combination; a casing having parallel walls, one of which is provided with stationary contacts and the other with a series of projections; a contact assembly including a contact carrier having recesses adjacent the projections, a contact member attached to said carrier and provided with bosses adjacent the stationary contacts, a plurality of springs in a circular row confined between the contact member and the carrier for urging the contact member against the stationary contacts and the carrier toward the casing wall having the projections and means for rotating said assembly.

2. An electric switch comprising in combination; a casing having parallel walls, one of which is provided with stationary contacts and the other with a series of projections; a contact assembly including a contact carrier having recesses adjacent the projections, a contact member attached to said carrier and provided with contact bosses adjacent the stationary contacts, and a plurality of springs interposed between the contact member and the carrier to urge them apart, said springs bearing on the contact member adjacent the contact bosses; and means for rotating said assembly.

3. An electric switch comprising in combination; a casing having parallel walls, one of which is provided with stationary contacts and the other with a series of projections; a movable carrier and a movable contact plate provided between said walls; resilient means urging the carrier and the plate apart including coiled springs located between the carrier and the plate, one end of each spring being received by one of several recesses in the carrier and the other end bearing against the plate, said plate having means for connecting said plate to thecarrier, and said carrier having recesses for receiving the projections of one of said walls whereby the springs yieldingly retain the carrier in various positions.

4. In an electric switch comprising in combination; a casing having parallel walls; a movable contact carrier and a movable contact plate provided between said walls, said contact plate having tongues for drivingly connecting the plate to the carrier and having axial movement therewith; a driving shaft having a portion within the housing and having means for receiving a portion of said carrier for drivingly connecting the carrier with the shaft and providing relative axial movement between said shaft and the carrier; and actuating means, and means for connecting the shaft to the actuating means to rotate the contact carrier.

5. An electric switch comprising in combination; a housing carrying stationary contacts on one of its end walls, and provided with projections on the other end wall; a movable contact carrier having a series of recesses located in a circular row adjacent the wall with the projections and adapted to engage said projections; a contact plate having bosses to engage the stationary contacts and also having tongues to hold the plate to said carrier, a plurality of coiled springs located in a circular row urging the plate and the carrier apart, said spring hearing against the plate adjacent the contact bosses; a tubular shaft having notches to receive portions of the carrier to drivingly connect said carrier to said shaft and permitting axial movement relative to said shaft; an actuating rod passing within the tubular shaft; and means for connecting the tubular shaft to the actuating rod to rotate said contact carrier.

In testimony whereof we hereto ailix our signatures.

HARRY E. NORVIEL. VANCE ECOFF.

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